Political Debate Over ACA Subsidies Heats Up At Ways And Means Hearing

While the conversation at the House E&C Subcommittee hearing this morning was fairly varied, in the early questioning before the Ways and Means Committee, the debate over the Affordable Care Act has been front and center. Ranking Member Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, said in his opening remarks that the expiry of the enhanced subsidies in the ...

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Congress Clinches Bipartisan Health Deal

Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan, bicameral health care deal early Tuesday morning they hope lawmakers will pass later this week as part of a four-bill government spending package. Alongside funding for the departments of Defense, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security through Sept. 30, senior appropriators are proposing a crackdown on drug intermediates ...

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Kaiser, Sutter Tap Execs To Drive Expansion Outside California

California’s two largest nonprofit health systems are positioning themselves for major expansion and strategic growth this year, with newly appointed leaders focused on mergers, acquisitions and national partnerships. Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente named Jim Marcotte vice president of mergers and acquisitions and partnership development strategy implementation. Mr. Marcotte previously served as executive director of financial planning and analysis ...

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The Fight Over How To Pay For Medi-Cal Puts Pressure On Newsom To Raise Taxes

California health care advocates, labor unions and progressive lawmakers are urging the governor and the Legislature to find new money to fund medical care and other social services for millions of low-income and disabled Californians. Their coalition, known as “Fight for Our Health,” demanded Wednesday on the Capitol steps that the Legislature and soon-to-be lame ...

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Trump Takes Aim At Insurance Industry, Drug Prices In Unveiling ‘The Great Healthcare Plan’

President Donald Trump has hinted at “concepts of a plan” for healthcare for months as legislators debate the future of key subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and on Thursday the White House unveiled a more concrete version of its vision for health policy. Called “The Great Healthcare Plan,” Trump’s proposal would send the value ...

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EBRI Study: Accelerating Healthcare Costs Could Erode Coverage From Small Businesses

With the healthcare affordability and insurance premiums in particular in the headlines, a new report finds that while the employer-sponsored space is largely stable, declines continue among smaller firms. The Employee Benefit Research Institute released a report diving into the “shifting landscape” around employer-sponsored health insurance and found that just under half (49%) of employers offered health ...

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Trump Jettisons The GOP’s Corporate Allies In Health Care Plan

Republicans finally have a health care plan. Conservatives who sought free-market solutions to America’s exorbitant medical bills in an era before President Donald Trump, and struggled to come up with a plan to replace Obamacare in his first term, would be surprised to see what’s in it. On Thursday, Trump unveiled a sweeping blueprint pressuring ...

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Utilization, Intensity Drove US Health Spending To $5.3T In 2024: CMS

The U.S. spent 7.2% more on healthcare in 2024 — not due to higher healthcare prices but instead greater use and more intensity of medical goods and services, especially in hospitals.

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Working Families Spend Nearly $4,000 Annually On Health Care: Study

The typical U.S. working family spends nearly $4,000 per year on health care, including their share of insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, according to a new analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Why it matters: That’s just the median amount, and plenty of families pay thousands more. But it goes a long way in explaining ...

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CMS Estimates Medicare Made $28.8B In Improper Payments In FY2025

The Trump administration has released new estimates on improper payments in key government insurance programs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said late Thursday that the estimated improper payment rate in traditional Medicare was 6.55%, or $28.83 billion, in 2025. That’s down from $31.7 billion, or a 7.66% rate, the year prior. The ...

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